The Drama of Mito and the (Not-)Skewered Noodle Cat
by Kalira69
Summary: Noodle cats may be very quick on their paws, but sneaking around ninja is just never a good idea. Fortunately in the noodle cats' world, all can once again be made well with cuddles and treats.


Written for Founders Week 2019 Day 7: Flowers

Also for Naruto Rare Pair Bingo 2019 - Free Space, on Board B

* * *

Mito frowned slightly, shaking her head as she read over-

She spun, the smooth slide of polished gold-washed steel through her fingers coming almost before she identified the sound of something that did not belong.

"_Owww!_"

Mito froze, hand extended, at the tiny wail.

_Oh no._

"Fuin-samaaa!" It was one of Izuna's beloved little darlings, _pinned_ to the top of a shelf across the room with- with her flowered kanzashi. The kanzashi trembled as the noodle cat shivered and cried. "Fuin-sama, whyyy?"

Mito darted across the room. Oh no, oh no, oh _no_. . . "Noodle-san? Oh I am _so sorry_, I did not realise-" Mito reached out gently, eyeing where the kanzashi - deadly sharp - pierced a small, fluffy body. Tansui, who, like his siblings of the litter born in Madara's tansu last year, was even more bold and fearless than most of the noodle cats. Izuna crooned about them taking after their uncle.

"Noodle-san was only bringing Fuin-sama a pretty flowerrr. . ." The noodle cat cried, holding a bright peony up over his chest in one quivering paw.

"Oh- Oh, Noodle-san." Mito said sadly. "I'm so sorry. It's a very pretty flower." she assured him, delicately feeling out the line of the kanzashi driven into his body. Though he was solidly pinned, it had punctured only loose skin, probably the quick, darting way the noodle cats ran, bouncing and leaping as they went, had carried him out of the path of the kanzashi even as it flew, _thank kami_. "Hold still, darling."

It took her a few minutes, filled with whimpering, whining cries and trembling - he didn't move, though, the good little darling, holding quite still save for quick little pants and the shivers wracking his small body - to work the kanzashi back out of the wood and then pull it carefully out of skin. The gold was streaked with blood, and there was a small pool of it spreading from beneath Tansui.

Tansui wriggled experimentally, whimpering quietly, then held up the peony again. "For Fuin-sama?" he said hopefully.

Mito's eyes prickled. "It's a lovely flower, darling, thank you." she said, taking the flower and tucking it into her hair. Tansui's ears pricked happily and his expression softened as he began to move, then he flinched with a little yelp, ears folding down.

"Hurts." he whimpered.

"Oh, you poor thing," Mito said softly, deftly scooping him up, "I didn't mean to hurt you. . . You just startled me." She rocked him soothingly against her chest, ignoring the blood smearing onto her kimono. "There, there, Noodle-san."

Tansui chittered quietly, ears perking up as he looked up at her with a little smile. "Snug snug. Fuin-sama is the best." he said, nudging his head up against her chest. "Best cuddles."

"You're a darling." Mito told him. "Let me bandage that up, poor little Noodle-san. . ." she crooned to him, holding him close as she walked.

Tansui lay still for Mito as she bandaged up his slender body - she pressed a comforting kiss to the layered white material when it was in place, and he chirped - and happily cuddled into her arms when she picked him up again after. She rocked him and held him close, petting his small head and scritching behind his ears as he made happy sounds, just shy of squirming under the touches.

"I think you deserve a treat for bringing me such a pretty flower." Mito said, carrying him towards the kitchen, and Tansui perked up, his snout coming up.

"Treats?" Tansui asked hopefully, quivering with excitement and clinging to her kimono, cuddled snugly in her arms.

"Treats." Mito agreed, thinking of the sushi fish in the cool box awaiting preparation.

* * *

"Tadaima!" Izuna called, closing the door behind himself. Hashirama was still at the Tower - and since Tobirama had looked _really_ fed up when he stalked towards Hashirama's office, he might be there for some time - but Mito should be at home.

"Hello." Mito called in return. "Izuna love, can we have a little talk about your darling noodle cats and not startling people? For their own safety?" she asked as she rounded the corner into the main room.

"What?" Izuna asked distractedly as he approached her; she was cradling one of his noodle cats in her arms. "I mean, Aniki has tried sometimes, but they're so small and quick, and they just _dart_ so much. . . Why?"

"Fuin-sama nearly _impaaaaled_ me today!" Tansui called out cheerfully from his place cuddled close against Mito's breast, and Izuna choked, eyes wide, stumbling as he lunged closer. There was a stark bandage wrapped around his chest, Izuna saw now.

"Tansui!" he choked out. "Baby!" He reached for his noodle cat even as he caught sight of Mito's face, scrunched with a wince.

"That is why." she said softly.

"Noodle-san is fiiine!" Tansui assured Izuna, snuggling deeper into Mito's arms even as Izuna tried to pull him out. "Noodle-san has been kissed better and Fuin-sama gave a bandage, taichou-tou! And there were treats! Fishy treats! Best sushi treats! Pretty shrub Fuin-sama has the best treats!"

"Tansui-chan. . ." Izuna stroked him softly, then slipped a hand under him. He latched his paws into Mito's kimono.

"Taichou-touuu!" Tansui protested, squirming and whimpering and then clinging even harder to Mito's kimono, beginning to pull it open from the gentle force of Izuna's tugging. "Am cosy! Please! Fuin-sama cuddles!"

Izuna relented and let go with a light stroke and Mito smiled softly and cuddled Tansui even closer, crooning. She looked up at Izuna. "I _am_ sorry, I had no idea. . ." She looked suddenly miserable, biting the delicate curve of her lower lip.

Still shuddering, stomach in knots, Izuna pressed close to her, kissing her cheek and cuddling up on the other side of Tansui.

"You're really all right?" Izuna asked, brushing a delicate caress down Tansui's face to lightly tap his nose with one fingertip.

Tansui chirred and nibbled his finger affectionately, grabbing Izuna's hand and pulling it down to rub his head against. "Am fine, Taichou-tou." he promised. "Fuin-sama takes good care!"

Izuna sighed, sagging a little with relief and closing his eyes. He swayed against Mito, and she nestled against his side, humming. "Come, Izuna love, let's sit down, mm?" she coaxed softly.

He opened his eyes and met soft concern in her own. He nodded, looking down at Tansui in her arms. Except for the bandage he honestly looked entirely fine, merely basking in Fuin-sama's attention and cuddles - Mito loved his babies, but she was not quite so often to be found coddling them in her arms as Hashirama, and they soaked it up when she did.

"I. . . Yes." Izuna agreed, nodding, and they moved to the couch together, Izuna all but curling around Mito, his face nestled against her shoulder. Tansui snuggled into her contentedly, and Izuna breathed deeply, reassured by his clear delight.

* * *

Hashirama bounded up the stairs to his own door, hurriedly prying off his sandals and abandoning his outer robes and hat nearby. "Tadaima!" he called through the quiet house, taking a moment to pause and stretch, breathing deeply.

"Bedroom." floated out to him in Izuna's slightly husky voice, and Hashirama grinned and headed that way.

He stopped in the doorway, a little surprised. That was . . . an unusual number of noodle cats, at least for their bed . . . when Mito was in it. She loved them, but had firm feelings about what should be going on in their bed. Hashirama couldn't say he argued with her over them, as a general rule. Mito's firm feelings had brought them Izuna, for one thing.

"Hello, my darlings." Hashirama said cheerfully. "What is going on? This is an unusual lot of noodle cats for our bed, is it not?"

"Hello, anata." Mito said with a soft smile, cuddling the delighted-looking noodle cat in her arms a little higher.

"Hashi-kami." Izuna echoed, lifting one hand and smiling at Hashirama. There were more noodle cats draped over him and cuddled close against his sides, and neck, and tucked under his arms and hands.

"Morikami-sama!" The noodle cats shivered and bounced, resettling in their places and skittering about over each other excitedly, looking up at him. "Welcome home!"

"Fuin-sama stabbed Noodle-san today!"

"Noodle-san startled Fuin-sama! Fuin-sama thought he was an enemy!"

"Noodle-san is fine!" called the noodle cat cradled in Mito's arms. There was a swathe of white around his middle that Hashirama had initially taken to be the noodle cat's fur but which he realised now was bandages. The noodle cat waved a paw at Hashirama without stirring from his cosy place nestled against Mito's chest, tucked in her arms. Hashirama couldn't blame him.

"We came to make sure Fuin-sama knows we still love her!"

"We aren't afraid of Fuin-sama!"

"Fuin-sama would never mean to hurt Noodle-san!"

Mito cooed and bent to kiss the little golden head of the noodle cat who had said that, and she trilled, bouncing as she scurried closer and tucked herself up against Mito's shoulder.

"Morikami-sama, are you coming for cuddles?"

"Morikami-sama is _always_ good for cuddles!"

Hashirama grinned, and Mito giggled, slanting a fond gaze up at him.

Hashirama startled and looked down as he felt a small weight on his pants, and found one enterprising noodle cat scurrying up them. They continued quickly up his body until they were high enough to be caught into his hands and brought higher with a happy chitter. Hashirama cooed to her and scritched her jaw as she squirmed and clung, snuffling at his hair and dragging herself a little higher up his chest.

"_Are_ you coming for cuddles, anata?" Mito asked, startling him, and Hashirama crossed hurriedly to the bed.

"Of course!" He bent, catching one of Mito's hands as she carefully unfolded her arm to extend it, kissing the back before climbing carefully onto the bed at her side, still supporting the noodle cat investigating his hair. In a moment he had another soft, pure white noodle cat spilling into his lap and scurrying up his chest to join her.

"Morikami-sama! Hello!" he cried directly into Hashirama's face, making him laugh.

"Morikami-sama booms!" the one still curled on his chest cried happily. "Again?"

Hashirama laughed at the hopeful request, hearing his wife and lover giggling nearby.

"Yay for Morikami-sama!"

"Have you eaten dinner, anata?" Mito asked, shifting to rest her head against his shoulder as Izuna moved with her, staying close, and the noodle cats skittered about to rearrange themselves over all three of them.

* * *

Incidentally, 'noodle cats' are one or another type of martens. They're adorable.

Tansui is a proper name (meaning fresh water), but it is possible his name began as 'Tansu' after the furniture in which he was born. . .


End file.
